Fear and Friendship
by Rain4evah
Summary: Another story involving caring between humans and gummies.


_I'm working on updating my other stories, but I can't help but making something on the way as well. This is another of my shorties (okay, not that short) that I just came up with; and couldn't stop._

* * *

It was late evening in Gummi Glen, and as the youngest ones prepared for bed, Gruffi extinguished the fire and all the candles. It was a routine he went through before he went to bed, checking that everything was alright. Gruffi could hear the rain over the ground and grumbled to himself. This would probably mean that he would get more to repair the next day.

"Gruffi?"

Gruffi turned around when he heard his name being spoken, and got to see the frightened face of a little pink cub standing in the doorway. The young one had large eyes and his bottom lip was shaking. "I'm scared. The thunder is so loud." Cubbi said trembling.

Gruffi sighed and walked over and laid an arm around him. The little one clinched to him and started crying. "There there, Cubbi. You know it's just sounds and vibrations. The thunder isn't going to harm you, especially not when you're down here!"

"But… it's so scary!" the cub said with quaking voice and sobbed.

"I know it's scary, but it's not lasting forever." Gruffi wiped his tears away and tried to calm him down by patting his head gently. "Understand?"

"Yes." he sniffled."I wonder if Cavin is okay." He looked up at him. "Do you think he is, Gruffi?"

Gruffi sighed at the thought of Cavin, the young human that had discovered them a couple of weeks earlier. He wasn't actually happy about having the young human walking freely around in the Glen, but Cavin was just a child and he had to admit that he didn't seem like any threat. Though he had experienced him with gummiberry juice and even though Cavin had shown that he could be trusted with it, Gruffi still doubted it was a good idea with a human walking around with gummiberry juice.

Although Cubbi had made Cavin his best friend in short time. They both had that same dream of becoming knights one day, and Cubbi had no other boys to play with. The two were like brothers now, as close as they could become. That's what Gruffi didn't' like, that the young cub had come so close to what was once for them counted as an enemy. But then again, Cubbi was too young to understand the meaning of being enemies. Gruffi saw a potential enemy where Cubbi saw a playmate.

And none of the others minded having him around either. Grammi had practically adopted him, treating him like one of their own cubs, who adored him. Zummi described him as an honest and truthful lad after he had managed to keep his promise the first day, and even for not taking the honor of destroying the catapult.

Cavin had been there earlier that night. After spending all day playing with the cubs, he had joined them for dinner and then at Zummi's storytelling later at evening. It was a matter of course now that Cavin was around at the storytelling. His Grandfather, Sir Gawain, told similar stories about gummi bears, so this was something that really interested him. Gruffi remembered how he had leaned out of the couch when Zummi spoke. He was just a wide eyed as the cubs.

"_Wow Zummi, You're just as good as Grandfather to tell stories!" __Cavin said where he sat between Cubbi and Sunni. _

_Zummi chuckled at the compliment. "Well, I'm just reading from the book." _

_Cavin shook his head__, smiling. "Uh-uh. I've heard gummi stories all my life, so I know what I'm talking about!" _

_Zummi chuckled at the compliment. "Well, thanks. I'm glad you liked it." _

_Cavin almost jumped in the couch. "Are you joking? This is just like home where Gramps used to tell me stories at night." he sighed. "Oh, I really wish I could tell Gramps about this."_

_Gruffi snorted in the chair, crossing his arms. "Well you have promised not to tell ANYONE, so you better not!" _

_Cavin moved a little back in the couch from his words and looked at him with bowed head. "I didn't say I was going to." He said low. _

_Grammi sent Gruffi an angry glare, but he only glared back at her. _

_Zummi saw how uncomfortable and upset Cavin became, and cleared his throat and smiled at him. "Of course we know you won't tell anyone, Cavin. You've proved to be trustworthy."_

_Cavin smiled slightly back at him. "Thanks, Zummi. I just…"_

_Zummi pushed up his glasses. "Hm?"_

"_I… just wondered if I could tell Grandfather the story you just told. He's always looking for new stories, and I thought maybe… I don't have to tell him I heard it from gummi bear."_

_Zummi heard Gruffi moan low beside him, but he just chuckled. __"Well, I suppose that doesn't harm." _

_Cavin immediately lightened up. "Really?" _

_Zummi chuckled. "Yes of course! Stories are just stories." _

_Cavin__ jumped out of the couch and gave Zummi a big hug. "Thanks, Zummi. You're the best!" _

_Zummi laughed at his joy. "Oh, you're welcome, son!" _

_Cavin let go of him and__ got up. "Well, thanks for tonight. I better get back before it gets too late." _

"_You're sure you manage that through that rain?" Cubbi asked. _

"_Take the quick-tunnels, dear." Grammi said. "Then you'll get faster back."_

"_Eh.. sure." Cavin said insecure. He hadn't gotten used to the quick-tunnels yet, he could be dizzy for minutes after just a short ride. "I'll be fine!" he said smiling. "Good night!"_

"_Good night, Cavin!" _

"I'm sure Cavin is just fine, Cubbi. Humans are tough, after all." Gruffi said with a light smile. "Now, go to bed and try not to worry."

"Oh, okay." Cubbi nodded and turned to go back to his bedroom. He thought of Cavin while he walked admiration. How brave he was, when he went to take care of Igthorn and the ogres all by himself, risked his life to help them. Cavin was really brave for just being a kid and here he was scared like any child. Cubbi felt embarrassed.

Another rumble made him run. He closed the door to his bedroom breathing fast, but suddenly he froze. He thought he became aware of a movement behind him. "W-who… who's there?"

The shadow of a tall figure came over to him, and Cubbi was about to scream when a low, whispering voice spoke. "Hush, Cubbi, it's just me!"

Cubbi stopped shivering when he heard the familiar voice. "Cavin?"

The human sank down on his knees, whispering nervously. "Y-y-yes. It's me. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

Cubbi smiled finally dared to walk into him. "It's okay, but what are you doing in here? I thought you went back to the Castle."

"Well, I was on my way, but…"

Cubbi came up to him and touched his arm, and stared at him with confusion when he felt that Cavin was shivering violently. "What's the matter, Cavin?"

Cavin sighed heavily and quavering. "Th-those quick-tunnels are awful… when you hear the thunder through the walls. I thought it felt like the ground was shaking under me and I… and I got really scared, Cubbi. I didn't dare to go back to Dunwyn!" Cavin bowed his head and whimpered, and Cubbi stared at him in surprise. "I… You won't mind having me here, do you?"

Cubbi smiled brightly. "Sure not. To be honest… I'm scared too, and it would be better if you were there."

Cavin smiled. "Thank you, Cubbi!"

* * *

So Cavin stayed with Cubbi for the night. He just slipped off his boots and hid them under the bed. Cubbi's bed was big and it was plenty of room for a young human in it. Cubbi curled himself up as close to Cavin as he could, and Cavin held his arms tightly around the little bear cub like a child clinched to a toy. They felt like they would get courage from each other by being close.

But none of them managed to fall asleep; the roaring sounds from above were making its way through the roofs and they could feel the vibrations like they were touching them. The worst about it, Cubbi explained to Cavin, was that they couldn't see the lightning, and so the thunder came as a surprise every time.

"You'll never know when the thunder comes!" he said with shivering voice.

"I think the lightning is worst." Cavin said. "It light up and makes all around you all scary. You think you see monsters all around. "He shivered. "I saw it once; hitting a tree causing it to fall."

"Was it scary?"

The human boy nodded violently. "I was about five or six, a while before I went to be a page in the Castle; I had been playing in the forest and went lost. Then it started raining and I hid under some rocks for shelter. Then it started thundering and lightning; the horrible rumbling and flashes of light was frightening me, and then the lightning hit a tree. The tree fell down and hadn't I hid under those rocks I would have been hit myself!"

Cavin's voice cracked, and Cubbi grabbed his shirt under the blanket. "Is that why you're afraid?"

He nodded, and a weak whimper escaped from his throat. "Ever since that event I've been terrified of thunder. I can't help it! In hate it!"

"Was that shy you sneaked in here?"

"M-hm!"

Another thunder rumbled loudly, and the boys crept under the blanked, packing themselves in it. After it went by, Cubbi finally asked what he really wondered about. "Cavin?"

"Hm?"

He didn't get time to finish speaking. The door suddenly went up and they gasped and hid under the blanket.

"It's okay, it's alright! It's just me!"

They got up from under the blanket and got to see the figure of Sunni. Dressed in her nightgown, she closed the door and carefully walked over to the edge of the bed. "I heard voices thought that I heard Cavin was here and…"

"Yeah, I… the tunnels were a little… scary in thunder." Cavin explained low.

"I can't sleep; I'm so frightened!" Sunni whimpered. "I… Is it okay if I…" her voice shivered.

Cavin looked at Cubbi, who smiled slightly and nodded, and then back to Sunni while he held up the blanket. "Sure. Climb in!" Cubbi said.

Sunni wasn't late to jump in and crept under with Cubbi. Cavin laid one arm around both of them, giggling low when Sunni crept under to his belly. But the horrible rumbling only continued, and soon Sunni started crying. Cavin rubbed her with the arm he had around her. "Are you okay, Sunni!" he asked low.

She shook her head violently and sniffled, holding tightly in his shirt. "No! I wish it would end!"

"Me too!" Cubbi said. "I've never heard anything like this."

"Well, at least it can't…"

Another sound interrupted them, and they all looked in the direction at the door. Someone carefully knocked on it. "E-excuse me? C-c-can I come in?"

Cubbi let out a sigh and jumped out of the bed and opened the door. "Come in, Tummi. Are you scared of the thunder too?"

"Yeah.I heard Sunni go in here, and…" Tummi swallowed hard.

Cubbi smiled to him and jumped up in the bed again. "Sure, Tummi!"

Tummi came up on the other side, so the youngest cubs were practically hidden in between him and Cavin.

Sunni was still crying and Cavin held a tighter grip around her, trying to comfort her by stroking over her head.

"D-d-do you think… the heavens are gonna fall down?" Tummi said hiding under the blanket.

"Dunno if that's possible." Cavin said and hid under his part of the blanket when the last rumble stopped. "But now I'm not so sure."

"B-but why are you here, Cavin?" Tummi asked.

"He snuck in here." Cubbi explained. "He was also afraid."

Sunni sniffled. "But… why did you sneak in? You know we wouldn't have minded you being here."

Cavin hesitated a little before he spoke. "Yes, I know Gruffi would. He… doesn't seem to like me very much. I see it; he's always so angry at me for being here." He sighed. "I don't understand what I'm doing wrong."

"Oh, don't care about him. He's just not used to it." Tummi said.

Cavin shook his head. "No, Tummi. I know he doesn't like humans. I don't think I'll ever…" he took a breath. Cubbi couldn't see his face in the dark, but he heard how depressed his voice was and crept up to his face. He could feel how he tried not to cry.

"Gruffi can say whatever he wants; I say you're my best friend no matter!"

Cavin patted him on the back and buried his face in his furry head. "Thanks, Cubbi."

"Yeah. Gruffi is always like that. Don't care about him." Tummi said and touched his arm.

Sunni hugged his belly, which caused Cavin to giggle again. "You're not dangerous, and he'll see that one day. He's just being stupid."

Cavin sniffled slightly. "Thanks, you guys. I feel so lucky to know you; I wouldn't have given you up for anything."

"Cavin?" Sunni asked.

"Yes?"

She crept up to him and peeked out her head. "Can you tell about Princess Calla?"

Cavin hesiteted. "Well…"

"Please?" she pleaded.

"Oh, okay." And Cavin told about the young Princess at his own age, with her long, blond hair that was shining in the sun, her playful beautiful blue eyes and her lovely smile. Cubbi sneakered at his description, but Sunni sighed heavily.

"She must be beautiful!"

"She sounds really nice." Tummi said.

"She is." Cavin mumbled and smiled slightly. The thought of Calla had made him forget about the thunder a moment.

"Who knows?" Cubbi said. "Maybe you'll get to marry her when you become a knight."

Cavin rose halfway. "Are you kidding? I'll never be good enough for King Gregors daughter, not even as a knight."

"You don't know that." Sunni said. "Maybe she likes you too?"

"Oh come' on, Sunni. She barely takes any notice of me. It's not like in fairytales where the knight just saves a Princess and then get to marry her. "

Cubbi laughed. "Well, everyone thought we were just fairytales, and we're real."

Cavin laughed back. "You got a point there."

"She might not be allowed by her father, but maybe she's crushing on you too?" Sunni said.

"Seriously." Cavin rolled his eyes in her imagination.

Cubbi got carried away with it. "We could help you, Cavin!" he rose in the bed, grabbed the wooden sword that was lying on the table beside it and jumped up at the bedside waving it up in the air. "Think of it; Igthorn has captured the Princess, and brave Sir Cavin, with the help of his trusty gummi companions, will rescue her. His only weapon is a bottle of gummiberry juice, and he fights Igthorn and saves Princess Calla, who's father will beg you to marry her. Imagine THAT; King Cav-aaaah!"

They started laughing without stop when Cubbi fell back and landed on his pillow and tumbled right into Tummi's belly. For a moment the fear was completely gone.

That was until the door suddenly flung up, and a hard voice yelled out. "And what's going on here?"

When Gruffi's voice sounded in the door, they all couldn't help but scream out loud in shock and hide under the blanket again.

Grammi also came in short after, and she was angry. "Gruffi, you belly goat! What are you doing in Cubbi's room, screaming like a boar?"

Gruffi turned to Grammi. "What I want to know is, what are they all doing in Cubbi's room?"

"Gruffi, what's going on?" Zummi suddenly peeked his head into them.

Tummi poked his head up from the blanket. "We're scared, Zummi."

"But don't tell me you're all afraid?" Zummi asked.

There was a moment in silence before all four of them answered in unison."Yes!"

The blanket slid down when Tummi rose and Cavin's head peeked out. The grown ups gasped when they saw him.

"But… Cavin?" Grammi said. "Are you here too?"

"I…" Cavin hesitated when he saw Gruffi's angry frown, but he owed them an explanation and went on talking. "I didn't dare to go back. I hate thunder! I'm sorry!" his voice was cracked and he was afraid that he would start crying I front of them. "I just… didn't want to be alone tonight."

"And therefore you had to sneak in like that?" Gruffi placed one hand on his hip and scowled at him.

He looked down. "I… didn't want to bother anyone."

Gruffi didn't seem satisfied with the answer. But Grammi immediately went over to the frightened human child and started stroking his shivering shoulders while she smiled encouraging to him. "Oh darling, there's nothing to feel sorry about. Of course it frightened you. It's alright; you just stay here for the night."

"R-really?" Cavin asked carefully and turned his look to Zummi and Gruffi.

Gruffi looked away while, Grammi and Zummi exchanged looks and smiled understandable when they turned back to him.

"Don't think about it, Sweetheart." Grammi said and stroke him over his face. He smiled gratefully back.

"But they can't stay up all night being afraid just like this." Zummi said.

"No, you're right." Grammi said. "There's only one thing to do!"

* * *

They moved them all out of Cubbi's room and into the living room where they lightened the fire place again and curled up. Gruffi placed himself in a chair; and he ordered Grammi and Zummi to bed again; no reason to keep them all up because of this.

Tummi's snoring was to be heard after a while. He was lying with his head supported on a pillow in the couch with Sunni leaning to his big stomach. It looked like she too had managed to fell asleep too, because her breath went normal.

Gruffi wrinkled his forehead when he saw Cavin, who were leaning to the couch with Cubbi in his lap. The cub clinched to his shirt and looked quite safe with the human's arms wrapped around him.

But Cavin was still awake; he sat and bit his bottom lip with fearful eyes.

Gruffi knew that Cavin was just a child, but he found it quite strange for a human to be afraid. It just didn't fit with his notion of humans. He was a strange human, Gruffi thougth. Even though he didn't wanted to admit it, boy had caught his curiosity from day one. He didn't demant anything from them except from being a part of their lives. Gruffi hadn't managed to believe it.

Still, when he saw him like this…

"Are you alright, Cavin?" Gruffi asked carefully.

The boy got startled by his sudden speaking, and gasped when he looked up at him. His eyes were large, and Gruffi had for a moment trouble believing what he saw in his eyes.

"Are you able to sleep?" he asked again.

"Eh… I…" He swallowed before he continued. "I'm really sorry I caused you so much bother, Gruffi."

Gruffi's expression immediately changed and became soft when he saw the glimpse of tears in Cavin's eyes; tears that he desperately tried to hold back by blinking. He rubbed his nose with one hand and tried to hide a sniffle.

Gruffi felt like a claw war gripping around his hart when he saw those tears. A wave of bad conscious was flowing inside him. Cavin had been afraid to bother him.

He had been scared of him.

Of all the things in the world he had never imagined that; Cavin had been more afraid of him than he had been of Cavin. He was just a child and he scared him. Was he really that rough that he managed to scare humans like that?

He thoguth of the cubs, they knew him and knew that he demanded respect, but he was always ready to comfort them if they needed it. he hadn't acted like that for Cavin yet. Something inside him melted seeing him like this. Gruffi figured out he actually couldn't stand to see Cavin so afraid.

"I…" he began, and coughed before he continued, "…wasn't very fond of thunderstorms either when I was a cub."

Cavin blinked and looked up at him. Gruffi wasn't smiling, but he wasn't angry either. "No-one likes such things in a certain age. But listen; there's nothing wrong in being afraid." He looked out in the air. "At least you're not afraid to admit that you are afraid. It actually shows courage to show your weakness!"

Cavin looked up. "It does?"

"Yes. And you are far from a coward from what I've seen, Cavin."

Cavin swallowed hard. "It's just…a boy at my age shouldn't be scared of such things, least of all a page! Sir Tuxford just laughs at me and says I should get over it."

"Huh, that knight of yours. Yeah, a real genius." Gruffi huffed.

Cavin sighed. "Unwin teased me for it the other day too, last week when we were surpriced in the forst. That was really sceary, but Unwin just laughed at me. You remember that other storm then?"

"Of course I remember that one; we had a flow in the quick-tunnels." Gruffi grumbled, but then lowered his voice, partly not to wake up the cubs, and because Cavin seemed to shirk where he sat. "But I bet that Unwin fella is just as scared as you sometimes."

Cavin actually smiled and chuckled the moment after. "Unwin is the greatest wimp you can imagine. You should have seen when the ogres came right before I met you guys. He screamed for his mom."

Gruffi actually had to chuckle with him, and for a moment the tense atmosphere was loosened up between the two of them.

But suddenly Cavin's smile faded. "But it's not so fun when he always tries to make a fool out of me."

Gruffi stopped laughing when he saw his face. "Well, I'm sorry to say it, but that Castle doesn't sound too friendly."

"They are kind, but…" Cavin took a breath. "They do have a lot of expectations. I don't get much time to have fun and stuff. Most of what I do is work. I'm barely allowed to make friends with all my work."

Gruffi raced an eyebrow at him. Were the humans really this rude, not allowing children to be children? Never letting them play and have fun? This straightened his image of humans. "Why is that?"

Cavin lifted his head and looked at him when he spoke. Gruffi thought he seemed calmer now. "Well, knights have to begin early in their lives to become good. So I had to leave my home to become a page when I was six and I've been at the Castle ever since. In some years I'll become a squire, and then, after I've proved myself in battle, I'll be a knight. I hope."

Gruffi listened silently. And Cubbi who hoped to become a knight one day; battle was the least thing he wanted for that cub. "Well, I do agree that you have to start early to be good, but… I'm not sure I like that method."

"Oh, it is really exiting. I mean, I'm seeing the King and the Princess every day, and I get to meet many other famous knight s as well." He sighed. "But… I miss grandfather sometimes."

"Doesn't he live at the Castle?"

Cavin shook his head and sighed. "No. I… I really miss him. But a knight has to be only loyal to his King, and therefore I can't have… too strong bonds to my family." He sighed again and looked up at Gruffi a short moment. "That's why I like it around here. This… family feeling, this… warmth. It's quite alike how we used to have it at home." He swallowed hard again and whispered. "I really miss home sometimes."

Gruffi felt the heart being grabbed again. "is it.., just you and your Grandfather?"

Cavin nodded.

"it's kind of… how we have it here. It's just us, no-one else. They all fled."

Cavin looked up. "Then why did you guys stay behind?"

"Some of us stayed to make it safe for them to come back." Gruffi explained. "But I don't know when they'll ever come back. I don't know if' it's safe either, with people like Igthorn around."

"No." Cavin sighed. "You're probably right." He got startled when Cubbi suddenly moved in his lap, but the cub only mumbled something he didn't get and snuggled closer into his belly. Cavin smiled and stroke him gently over his head.

Gruffi looked at him and he got the impression that Cavin really cared about him, about them. Maybe he had been wrong of him after all. He rose from his chair and walked over to him. "You know Cavin, you're really strange. How is it that you're not like most humans?"

Cavin looked up and shrugged. "I don't know. I believed in gummi bears when everyone else didn't , that's it. I don't know if I'm that different."

"No, it's just… you don't fit into my image of humans. I wonder… if it had been better if it was more humans like you around."

"You think so?" Cavin looked at him.

Gruffi shrugged. "Don't know. After all, you're the first to get to know us."

"You weren't exactly like I expected either." he said seriously. "But knowing that you're more than just fairytales, that means a lot to me."

"I…" Gruffi didn't know how to say it. "after meeting Igthorn, I became certain that some humans simply can't be trusted. But after meeting you… I don't know what to think anymore."

"So you…" cavin hesitated, biting his lip nervously.

Gruffi desided it was time to tell. "I don't trust humans." he smiled slightly, "But I'm okay with you!"

Cavin smiled and swallowed another big lump in his throat. "Really?"

Gruffi shook his head. "Yes, I am!"

Cavin finely dared to sniffle loud.

It became silent, and at last they noticed how silent it really was.

"Seems like it's stopped outside." Cavin pointed out.

Gruffi looked up at the roof. "Seems like it. It's still raining though."

Cavin sighed. "Maybe I should get back."

It was a sad tone in his voice. Gruffi thought for a moment before he placed his hands on his hips.

"When that one's finely fall asleep?" he pointed at Cubbi, who were lying curled up at Cavin's lap with the humans' arms around him, sleeping like nothing had happened that night. "Not a chance! You're not moving one inch from that spot, you hear me? Now, try to get some sleep!"

Cavin didn't know what to believe, but when Gruffi went back to his chair, he had to blink away some new tears.

Gruffi tried to fall asleep himself, but he wasn't able to after the conversation. He had never thought he would become this deep with a human. And now he had even comforted one of them, made him see that he had a soft spot. He looked at him one more time. Cavin had closed his eyes, with a peaceful smile on his face. His arms, had slid down and were lying as a cover over Cubbi. The sight actually made Gruffi smile, but it also made the bad conscious come back.

He rose from his chair and took the blanket that lied in the chair beside him. Then he walked over to the human and carefully started wrapping it around his shoulders and body. He saw that it was too little for him, so he went out of the room, and when he returned he had another one that he placed on the other side of him.

That's when he noticed the tear had stopped halfway down Cavin's chin, a sight that mad him go soft inside again. Gruffi listened, making sure he was truly asleep before he let a finger slide carefully up to wipe it away. He removed the finger fast, hoping he hadn't woken him, but Cavin was as much asleep as the rest of the cubs. He hadn't been treating him fairly; even after all he had done for them. But he decided that from now on, maybe he would try.

Sighing relived, Gruffi turned around to go back in the chair again, but he barely managed to hold back a yelp when he faced Grammi. Standing in her nightgown and her hair sat up, she had her hands folded, smiling brightly with sparkling eyes. Gruffi red them like an open book; after all Gruffi, you do care about the human lad, I will never forget this. Zummi stood beside her, with a hand covering his mouth preventing himself from chuckling.

"Don't get any ideas." he grumbled low and sat down again, crossing his arms looking away from them.

Zummi thought of going to bed himself, but discovered that he wasn't able to move. He looked at Grammi, who had already sat down beside the cubs in the couch and leaned against the side. Zummi decided to follow her example, and climbed up and leaned on her shoulder while he took some of the blanket from the cubs and covered them, laid himself comfortable and let sleep come.


End file.
